Generally speaking, there are many times throughout a day when a person cannot be reached face-to-face or via a wired communication device. To make themselves accessible to others and stay current on developments at various times and locations throughout the day, many people presently carry a wireless communication device, such as a cellular telephone or a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA). When an incoming communication reaches a user's wireless communication device, the wireless communication device typically generates an audible alert to inform the user. However, there are many environments where this audible alert may be inappropriate. A classic example is the ringing of a cellular phone during an important business meeting.
Currently, some wireless communication devices provide vibrating alerts for incoming communications. However, to determine if a particular vibration alert is significant, the user typically performs a deliberate action, such as answering a voice call or looking at a data display present on some wireless communication devices. Such actions can take a relatively long time to carry out. Moreover, there are times when such actions may be inappropriate. Therefore, one aspect of the description provided herein provides distinctive vibrating alerts to enable a user to quickly and discreetly differentiate between alerts and determine the significance of incoming communication and communication requests. The description below addresses these and other shortcomings in the present art.